Numerous manufacturing processes require the use of ultrapure liquids, such as acids, solvents, bases, photoresists, dopants, inorganic, organic, and biological solutions, pharmaceuticals, and radioactive chemicals. Such industries require that the number and size of particles in the ultrapure liquids be controlled to ensure purity. In particular, because ultrapure liquids are used in many aspects of the microelectronic manufacturing process, semiconductor manufacturers have established strict particle concentration specifications for process chemicals and chemical-handling equipment. Such specifications are needed because, should the liquids used during the manufacturing process contain high levels of particles or bubbles, the particles or bubbles may be deposited on solid surfaces of the silicon. This can, in turn, lead to product failure and reduced quality and reliability.
Storage and dispensing systems that are used to store, ship, and dispense the liquids described above, as well as other liquid-based contents, typically include a container of some kind, and/or a liner, a cap that may be used to seal and protect the contents of the storage system when the contents are not being dispensed, and a connector that may be used to dispense the contents from the container. The connector that is used during dispense is typically uniquely configured to provide a particular type of dispense. Accordingly, the connector that is used during dispense will have an effect on several aspects of the dispense, for example, whether the dispense is a pump or pressure dispense, what the rate of flow of dispense may be, and/or how much residue may remain in a liner or container after dispense.
In order to dispense the contents of a container, the sealing cap must be removed and the connector must be attached. Contaminants may be introduced into the system when the system is exposed to the outside environment during the process of removing the cap and attaching the connector.
Further, caps and connectors are often times relatively expensive. Many times, caps and connectors are made to be used repeatedly. Repeated use of caps and/or connectors, however, requires extensive washing and/or sterilizing prior to subsequent uses, which may be time consuming and/or expensive. Additionally, no matter how well a cap and/or connector may be cleaned, there is still the possibility that the cap and/or connector would not be completely cleaned and may thereby introduce contaminants into the contents of a container upon subsequent use. Accordingly, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive cap or closure that may function as both a closure for the system during storage and/or shipping, as well as a connector for use during dispense. There is also a need for a cost-effective combination closure/connector that may be used a single time.